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How to dry honey mushrooms at home
Mid-autumn is the time to collect honey agarics. A few kilograms of “forest meat” can be removed from a successful hemp. And the question naturally arises of how to dry mushrooms at home, because you want to keep a healthy treat for the whole winter. Mushrooms harvested in this way are well stored and will be able to diversify the daily menu.
How to dry honey mushrooms correctly?
Preparing mushrooms for drying
Before proceeding directly to drying, you need to understand the rules for pre-processing products.
- Only high-quality mushrooms are chosen for drying. The hat must be free of wormholes, the leg must be intact.
- Do not wash the mushrooms before drying. They absorb moisture, which impairs their taste and appearance.
- Choose medium-sized mushrooms, large ones dry for a long time, and small ones can become completely tasteless.
- When in doubt that a mushroom is edible, throw it away. False mushrooms can be very similar to their edible counterparts, do not risk your health.
Honey mushrooms are small enough mushrooms, therefore, before drying, their leg is cut off. Usually a couple of centimeters are left at the hat.
How to dry honey mushrooms for the winter
Mushrooms can be dried in several ways. Previously, they were strung on threads and hung near the stove. Its natural dry heat created an optimal microclimate. Residents of modern private houses can use a fireplace or an ordinary stove, but there are other ways:
- hanging on a thread in a dry room;
- hanging in the sun, but this method is only suitable for dry and clear days;
- in a special dryer for vegetables;
- in a conventional oven.
The latter method is applicable almost everywhere.
Let’s take a closer look at how to cook dried mushrooms using the oven. You will need strong, medium-sized mushrooms.
- Carefully sort out the crop and select only high-quality material for further harvesting.
- Wipe the selected mushrooms with a soft, slightly damp cloth or sponge and let them dry slightly. If there is a lot of dirt, then you can rinse with running water.
- Cut off the long legs. They dry faster than hats, they can be frozen, put on caviar or fried while they are fresh.
- Preheat oven to 70 ° C. It is very important that the temperature is optimal, honey mushrooms should be dried, but not baked. After about an hour, reduce the heat and open the door.
- Cooking time from 3 to 8 hours depending on the size and juiciness of the caps.
Similarly, you can use a home electric dryer. Its advantage is always the optimum temperature.
Now you know how to dry honey mushrooms. Such products are perfectly stored for at least a year, and in winter they will remind of a generous autumn with their aroma.
In the next article: how to dry seeds